Nizuka Minori, Ishihara Hironobu, Nakahigashi Jun, Matsumoto Daisaku, Kobayashi Eiji
Wellness Development Center, Air Water Inc., 1-7, Tsukisamu Higashi 2-jo 16-chome, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo 062-0052, Hokkaido, Japan.
Air Water Logistics Co., Ltd., 1-6, Tsukisamu Higashi 2-jo 16-chome, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo 062-0052, Hokkaido, Japan.
Metabolites. 2025 Jul 31;15(8):511. doi: 10.3390/metabo15080511.
: Pumpkin seed pulp from processing plants offers high nutritional value due to its rich β-carotene content, making it a potential functional feed ingredient. This study investigated the effects of pumpkin seed pulp, which has already been administered as livestock feed, on key physiological parameters in cattle, including the concentration of β-carotene in the blood measured during routine health monitoring. : Here, pumpkin waste cultivated in various fields was processed into cattle feed (pumpkin seed pulp flakes, PSPFs) by grinding and drying, and residual pesticide (heptachlor) and β-carotene contents were measured. A pilot feeding trial was conducted with 13 cattle (7 in the treatment group and 6 in the control group) and blood component analysis was performed, and findings were contextualized with a literature review. : Heptachlor concentrations varied depending on the cultivation site of raw pumpkins. Among the six lots produced using raw materials sourced from fields not contracted by the Air Water Group-a collective of companies in which Air Water Inc. holds more than 51% ownership-three exceeded the regulatory limits for animal feed established in Japan. PSPFs contained high levels of β-carotene, as expected. Blood tests before and after the feeding trial indicated absorption of β-carotene in the cattle. Maintaining high plasma β-carotene concentrations in cattle has been associated with improved immune function and reproductive performance. : Our study demonstrates that PSPFs are a promising, environmentally friendly, and natural β-carotene-rich feed ingredient. Tracing the cultivation fields of raw pumpkins can help ensure feed safety.
加工工厂的南瓜籽粕因其富含β-胡萝卜素而具有很高的营养价值，使其成为一种潜在的功能性饲料成分。本研究调查了已作为牲畜饲料使用的南瓜籽粕对牛关键生理参数的影响，包括在常规健康监测期间测量的血液中β-胡萝卜素浓度。
在此，将不同田地种植的南瓜废料通过研磨和干燥加工成牛饲料（南瓜籽粕片，PSPFs），并测量残留农药（七氯）和β-胡萝卜素含量。对13头牛（治疗组7头，对照组6头）进行了小规模饲养试验并进行血液成分分析，研究结果通过文献综述进行情境化分析。
七氯浓度因生南瓜的种植地点而异。在使用未由空气水集团（空气水公司拥有超过51%股权的公司集体）承包的田地来源的原材料生产的六个批次中，有三个超过了日本规定的动物饲料监管限值。正如预期的那样，PSPFs含有高水平的β-胡萝卜素。饲养试验前后的血液检测表明牛体内吸收了β-胡萝卜素。维持牛体内高血浆β-胡萝卜素浓度与改善免疫功能和繁殖性能有关。
我们的研究表明，PSPFs是一种有前景的、环保的、天然的富含β-胡萝卜素的饲料成分。追踪生南瓜的种植田地有助于确保饲料安全。
